Gate and gate-operating mechanism for railway crossings



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'Pgitented Nov. 28, 19 22.

\ a/mwel 15. Pbgfl O'AA-M/ s, R. PAYNE.. GATE AND GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-29, I922.

S. R. PAYNE. GATE AND GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG-25% 1922. 1,437,071.

Patented Nov.

3 SHEETS-SHE 2.

NMV M u m M M gg? i Nb Nb s. R. PAYNE. I GATE AND'GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

APPLlCATlON FILED AUG.Z9, I922.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jmrmwm SAIVIUEL R. PAY1\TE, OFQUINCY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO U. S. SAFETY CORPORATION, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

1,43% PATENT crews.

rrnsr GATE GATE AND GATE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY cnossrnes.

Application filed August 29, 1922. Serial No. 585,058.

gates for use at grade crossings, the primary object of this invention being to im prove upon and simplify the constructlon illustrated in my Patent No. 1,261,433, of

April 2, 1918. I

A further object isto reduce the number of parts necessary to operate the gate, render the gate more practical, and cause the same to work more efficiently.

A still further object is to provide a construction of this character wherein the gate is normally held in its raised position by a counterweight or equivalent element but wherein upon the approach of a train toward the crossing and within a predetermined distance thereof, the train by engagement with a series of ramps mounted upon the track will cause the depression of the gate to a horizontal position, the gate being held depressed until the train reaches and moves across the crossing, the gatethen being released and returning to its vertical position, the ramps on one side of the crossing being returned to their normalposition as S0011 as the train leaves them and the ramps on the other side of the crossing being held depressed by the train as it moves away from the crossing but returning to their normal positions when the train leaves the ramps.

Still another object is to provide a crossing gate of the character stated wherein the barrier forming part of the gate is mounted so that if a vehicle gets caught between the two gates the vehicle may move onward and will open the carrier to permit the vehicle to pass off of the crossing, the barrier then returning to its closed position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway gate and a portion of the track adjacent theretoconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure2 is atop plan View of the construct1on shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the ramps and allied parts, the shafts 25, 31 and 36 being shown in section;

F igure dis a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 3 partially broken away;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the yokes 51 and 51*, the pin 53 and shaft 31 being in section;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the barrier and barrier operating mechanism, the shafts being in section; I

Figure 7 is a' fragmentary top plan view showing the barrier lowered and in dotted lines showing the barrier swinging outward;

F igure'S is a front elevation of the construction shown in Figure 1, part of the barrier and the member 15 being in section;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lever 29 and the means for operating it;

Figures 10-and 11 are elevations of the mechanism shown in Figure 9, showing the two positions of the parts and showing the shafts in section.

In the drawings, A designates a track having thetrack rails a, and B designates the highway intersecting the rails at the cross ing. Disposed atthe crossing and on one sideof the highway and on each side of the rails a arethe railway gates, each of these gates consisting of a base or standard and a barrier pivotally mounted thereon. "Each .gate is constructed in the same manner and,

therefore, a description. of one gate will suffice for both.

Referring to Figure 6, it will be, seen that the standard-or base consists of a casting 10 which may be made in two half sections or in any other suitable manner, this casting being angular in form and having a base .11 which is suitably mounted upon a foundation. This casting 10 or standard is hollow so as to house the several gears hereinafter described. Extending through the 1 standard 10 is a shaft 12 which is disposed approximately at the intersection of the vertical portion of the standard with the horizontal portion 13 thereof. Mounted upon this shaft 12 to rotate therewith is a sector gear 14 having a radial extension 15 this extension is a bolt 16 and mounted upon 7 this bolt is the barrier 17, which may be of any suitable form and either of wood or metal. This barrier 17 is so mounted upon the bolt 16 that it may oscillate. In other words, it is-hinged-to the portion 15. A spring 18 surrounds this bolt, one end of the spring being fixed in any suitable manner, the opposite end 19 of the spring being engaged with the barrier 17. This spring, therefore, serves to hold the barrier 17 in line with the socket or extension but permits the barrier 17 to swing outward when the barrier is in a horizontal position like a door. This barrieris free to swing, it will be understood, in one direction but is limited in the other direction by contact with the rear wall of-thesocket 15.

The sector'gear llmeshes with a pinion 20 mounted upon a shaft 21, and this pinion in turnmeshes witha sector gear 22-carried by and forming part of a counterweight arm 23 mounted upon shaft 24:; extending through the portion 13 ofthe standard. It will thus be seen that when thesocket 15 and the barrier move downwardto a horizontal position from a vertical position, the weight 23 will be raised, and that if the gate be then releasedthe weight 23 will cause the barrier to return to its vertical position.

F or the purpose of operating the sector gear 1st, I provide a shaft'25 mounted in the base of the 'standard'lO and carrying a gear wheel 26.- This gear wheel may be operatively connected totlfe shaft 12 in any suitable manner, but I have illustrated a train of three gear wl1eels27 mounted upon shafts 28 and meshing with each other, the end gear wheels meshing respectively with the gear wheels 26 and 14. These gear wheels have such ratio that a predetermined rotation of the gear wheel 26 in one direction will cause a quarter turn of the sector gear 141- so as to carry the barrier 17 from its vertical to its horizontal position andv vice versa.

As before remarked, I do not wish. to be limited to the specific means illustrated whereby power is conducted from the gear wheel 26 to the sector gear 14, as other means might be used. for the purpose. Thus the two shafts 12 and might'be connected by sprocket chains or by rack and pinion or a variety of difi'erent mechanisms might be used to transmit power and motion. The shaft 25 carries upon it at ap'oint somewhat remote from the barrier and adjacent one of the rails a the arm 29 having a curved inner face 30. This arm 29 has a relatively wide face and extending parallel to the shaft 25 is a shaft 31 which carries upon it a gear wheel 32 or sector gear having a tangentially extending arm 33 formed with a roller 35 at its outer end, this outer end being angularly bent so that the roller 35 bears portion of the curved face of therefrom and carrying at its end the roller 39 which also bears against the convex face 30 of the arm 29. It will be seen now that when the shaft 31 is given a counter-clockwise rotative movement, the roller will bear against the outer end of the arm 29 and turn this arm downward from the position shown in Figure 9 to an approximately horizontal position. The intermeshinggear wheels 32 and 37 will cause the arm 38, however, to turn in the opposite direction and away from the arm 39. If, however, a rotation is communicated to shaft 36 in a countersclockwise direction, the arm 38 will move downward and bear down upon the arm 29 and rotate shaft 25, while the arm 33 will move in theopposite direction.

Thus, an oscillation in a counter-clockwise direction of either the shaft 36 or the shaft 31 will cause the operation of the arm 29, and if the shaft 31 is given a rotation in a counter-clockwise direction. the arm 33 operates todepress arm 29 and if it is given a rotation in a clockwise direction the arm 38 will operate against arm 29 and rotate the shaft 25. Thus the rotation of the shaft 31 in either directionfrom its neutral position will cause the depression of the outer end of the arm 29 and cause the lowering of the barrier from its vertical position to its horizontal position.

In order to provide means for operating the shaft 31 by the approach of a train toward the crossing, I mountbeside the rails a. on eachside of the crossing a series of ramps, each ramp of the series of ramps on one side of the crossing being designated 4-0 and each ramp of the series of ramps on the opposite side of the crossingv being designated 40. The ramps on one side of the crossing are the same a s the ramps on the op 'positc side of the crossing and each ramp is exactly like the other ramp. Therefore, a description of one will apply to the other. Each ramp consists: of an angular plate which is outwardly flanged at its upper end, as at 41. This flange is depressed or downwardly inclined at the outer ends of the ramp, as at 42, so that the tread of a railway car wheel will ride on this inclined surface and gently depress the ramp so that the u p-' from each other by a short distance, but this time connected by a turnbuckle 50.

distance is so short that a train or car approaching the highway crossing always has one of its wheels depressing a ramp sothat from the time the train arrives at the crossing one series of ramps is depressed.

The rod 47 of the ramps 40is engaged by a contractile spring 48 which is disposed adjacent the shaft 25, the inner end ofthisv spring being anchored in any suitable man-- ner and the other end being connected to the rod 47 in any suitable manner. Pivotally connected to the rod 47 adjacent spring 48 is an angularly bent rod 49 formed in two sec- The outer section of this rod 49 terminates in a yoke 51, this yoke being slotted, as at 52. The rod 47 is connected to a like spring 48 and is also pivotally connected to an angularly bent rod 49 having a turnbuckle'50 and terminates in a slotted yoke 51*. These yokes 51 and 51 overlap each other, as

shown in Figure 5, and through these yokes. passes a pm 53. This p1n53passes through the upper end of a crank 54 whose lower end is engaged with the shaft 31,.see Figure 5.

It will be obvious now that if the ramps 40 be depressed they will rock the levers 44, pull upon the rod 47 against the action of the spring 48, pull upon the yoke 51, and this will draw the upper end of. the crank 54 from left to right in Figure 3,. giving a clockwise rotation to shaft 31. This will cause the gear wheel 32-to move in a clockwise direction and cause the gear 37 tomove in a counterclocle wise direction so that the arm 38 will depress.

the lever or arm 29, and move the shaft 25 in a counter-clockwise direction, which through the'action of the gear wheels previously described, will shift the barrier from its vertical to its horizontal position. Now when the rod 47 is drawn from left to right by the depression of the ramps 40, the movement of the pin 53 from left to right will pull upon the yoke 51, which in turn will pull upon the rod 47 and this will shift the levers 44 associated with the rod 47 and the ramps 40 over to a position reverse to that in Figure 3, thus lowering the ramps on that side of, the

highway, the spring 48 for-this series of ramps contracting still further from its normal position to permit this movementand assisting in'this movement.

Now when the train has reached the crossing and the rear end of the train has passed all of the ramps 40, the front end of the train will engage the ramps 40*, but as soon as the rear end of the train has passed the ramps 40 and all these rampsare released, the spring 'positive in its action.

48 will act to draw these ramps 40 back again to their normal or raised position. Thus the yoke 51 will move from right to .left without, however, affecting the yoke 51, which will remain shifted because of the depression of the ramps 40'. When the train has left the ramps 40 and the ramps 40 have returned to their normal position, the movement of the yoke 51 will permit the counterweights of the barrier to return it to its vertical position so that as soon i as the train hasreached or passed the crossing, the barrier will rise to its inoperative position. As soon as the train has cleared the ramps 40 these ramps'will return to their operative position, as shown in full lines in Figure 3.

What occurs with a train moving from right to left in Figure 1 will also occur with a train moving from left to right, only in that casethe ramps 4O? will be, initially operated and the rod 47 will be initially operated, the pin 53 will be drawn from right to left by the movement of the yoke 51, the shaft 31 will be given a counter-clockwise movement, this will give a counter-clockwise movement to the gear wheel 32, and the arm 33 will then act to depress the arm 29, oscillating the shaft 25, which through the train of gears, as before described. will lower the barrier to its horizontal position.

It will be seen that the mechanism which I have described is verysimple and very The approach of train in either direction will cause the barriers to lower and these barriers to be raised assoon as the train has reached the crossing and is to form a barrier to approaching vehicles. Thus the barriers do not remain lowered un til the trainhas reached the trip mechanism at a distance from the crossing with the consequent delay to tragic, but the barrier is imover the crossing mediately raised when the train has initially crossed the highway so that as soon as the tail end of the train has iasswltlie highway, tra'llic may be resumed.

While I have illustrated this invention as applied to a single track road, it is perfectly obvious that it may be applied to a double track road, the ramps 40 being, applied to one track and on one side of the crossing, while theramps 40 are applied to the other track and on the opposite side of the crossing. Thus m mechanism is applicable either to a single track or double track roadand may be readily made applicable to any number of tracks intersecting the high way. 7 T

It will be seen by comparison with my former patent before referred to that I have greatly simplified the mechanism thereof, reduced the number of parts, rendered the action much more positive. The barrier is hinged to the socket 15 in order to eliminate danger or accident in case a vehicle or a perbarrier movable from a vertical to a horizontal position, acounterweight urging the son gets in between the gates Witlran on comingtrain. In that case the vehlcle can push right through and W111 swing the barrier in a horizontal position and against the action of the spring 18. As soon as the vehicle has gotten beyond the barrier, the spring 18 will cause the barrier to swing to its normal or-closed position.

1 claim 1. fr railway crossing-n ts, comprising a barrier to its vertical position, a sector gear operatively connected to the barrier to oscillate it, a shaftcarrying a gear wheel operatively engaging the sector gear, two series oi ramps disposed alongside. the rail way track and on each side of the l'iigghway crossing, said ramps being depressible under the weight of a train, means operatively connecting the ramps-to said last-named shaft to cause the rotationo'f the shaft in one direction upon. the depression of either series 01? ramps, and means permitting the return otone series of rampsto its normal position and the return of the barrier to its normal position when the trainleaves one series oi? oi ramps.

2. A railway crossing gate, comprising a barrier normally urgedto a. vertical position but depressible to a horizontal position, two series or ramps, both series being disposed along a rail of the. track and one series beii'ig disposed on one side of the crossing and the other on the opposite side of the crossing, means urging both series of ramps upward, means acting uponthe depression of either series of ramps under the weight of a train to cause the depression of the barrier to its horizontal position and the deprc-isission ot the other series of ramps, said means permitting the upward movement of the first series of ramps and the movement ol? the barrier to its verti a] position when the train has .lelt the first named series 0t ramps and engaged the second named series of ramps.

3. A railway crossing gate, an operating mechanism thereto!- including a supporting standard, a shait mounted therein and having a sector gear. a barrier attached to the sector gear to move therewith from a vertical to a horizontal position and vice versa,

a sector gear having a counter-weighted arm, an intermediate gear between the two sector gears and operatively connecting them, an operating gear in the base of said standard, and operative connections between said operating gearand one of said sector gears.

4. A railway crossing gate, including a supporting standard, a shaft mounted therein and. he ing a sector rear provided with a radially extending socket on one side, a

ramps and engages the other seriesbarrier hinged in said socket'tor movement in a plane at rightangles to the plane of rotation of the sector gear, a spring yieldingly holdingsaid barrier in a position in the plane or? said sector gear, acounterweight' operatively engaging the sector gear to cause the return of the sectorgear to its normal position and the littingot the barrier to its vertical position, and train operated means disposed along the traclron each side: of the crossing to cause a predetermined rotation of said sector geer to lower the barrier upon the approach of a train.

crossing gate, including a barrier mounted for movement from avertical to a horizontal plane, a counterweight operatively connected to the barrier to urge it to a vertical plane, means for oscillatii'ig the barrier including an operating shaft therefor, an arm on the operating shaft, a pain of counte shatts carryingintermeshing gears, each 'countershait having an out mounted for movement from a vertical to a horizontal plane, a counterweight operativel connected to the barrier to urge it to a vertical plane, means for oscillating the barrier includingan operating shaft theretor, an arm on the operating shaft, a pair of counter-shafts (are ing interineshing gears, each couifltersh having an outwardly projecting arm engaging at its extreinity'with th arm on the operating shaft whereby a rotation of one ol said counterslia'lts in either Lli'l'WflIOl'l will cause the depression oi said operating arm, ramps mounted ad acent the ra ls oi the tracl; and

on each side ol the crossing, said ramps being dopressilde under the weight of a train and being urged to an elevated position, means operatively connecting the ramps on'both side of the crossing to one of said countershal ts, said mechanism permit ting the independent depression of the ramps, said mechanism including a crank arm connected to one of said countershal ts and having a pin at its outer end, a pair of slotted yokes through which the pin projects, and a rod extending from each yoke and being operatively connected to a corresponding series of ramps.

7. A crossing gate, including a barrier o A. crossing gate, including a barrier} mounted for m vement from a vertical toa horizontal plane, a counterweight operatively connected to the barrier to urge it to a vertical plane, means for oscillating the barrier including an operating shaft-therefor, an arm on the operating shaft, a pair of countershafts carrying intermeshing gears, each countcrshaft having an outwardly projecting arm engaging at its extremity with the arm on the operating shaft whereby a rotation of one of said countershafts in either direction will cause the depression of said operating arm, ramps mounted adjacent the rails of the track and on each side of the crossing, said ramps being depressible under the weight of a train and being urged to an elevated position, means operatively connecting the ramps on both sides of the crossing to one of said countershafts, including a crank arm operatively connected to one of said countershafts and having a crank pin at its out-er end, a pair of slotted yokes through which the crank pin passes, rods extending parallel to the rails and each beneath one series of ramps, said rods being mounted for longitudinal movement, levers each operatively pivoted at its lower end to the corresponding rod and having a roller at its upper end upon which the ramp rests, and independent springs connected to the said rods and drawing the rods toward each other and urging the levers toward a vertical position with the ramps raised, the ramps being guided for vertical movement under the weight of a train.

8. The combination with a crossing gate including a barrier movable from a vertical to a horizontal position and vice versa, and means urging the barrier to a vertical position, of train operated means for shifting the barrier to a horizontal position in cluding an operating crank, having a crank pin, a pair of yokes slidingly engaging the crank pin, the adjacent ends of the yokes normally being abutted against the crank pin, rods disposed alongside the rails of the track and extending in opposite directions on each side of the crossing, springs urging said rods toward each other, operative connections between said rods and said yokes, two series of ramps disposed on each side of the crossing and alongside the rails of the track, each ramp having an outwardly projecting flange at its upper edge and two series of levers pivotally supported at the sides of the rails of the track and beneath said ramps, each of the levers at its lower end being connected to a corresponding rod and at its upper end having a roller bearing against the under face of the ramp flange,

and springs normally supporting these levers in a slightly inclined position with the upper ends nearer the crossing than the lower ends.

9. A crossing gate including a barrier mounted for movement from an unobstructing to an obstructing position and vice versa, a shaft for operating the gate and having an outwardly projecting arm, a pair of counter-shafts carrying intermeshing gears,

each counter-shaft having an outwardly projecting arm engaging at its extremity with the arm on the operating shaft whereby a rotation of one of said counter-shafts in either direction will cause the depression of said operating arm, and means mounted adjacent the rails of the track and on each side of the crossing and shiftable in one direction under the weight of a train, said means on both sides of the crossing being operatively connected to one of said countershafts and said means permitting the independent depression of the ramps.

10. A crossing gate including a barrier mounted for movement from an unobstructingto an obstructing position and vice versa, means urging the barrier to an unobstructing position, means for shifting the barrier including an operating shaft having an arm, a pair of counter-shafts carrying intermeshing gears, each counter-shaft having an outwardly projecting arm engaging at its extremity with the arm on the operating shaft whereby a rotation of one of said counter-shafts in either direction will cause the depression of said operating arms, r mps mounted adjacent the rails of the track and on each side of the crossing, the

ramps being depressible under the weight of a train and being urged to an elevated position, and means operatively connecting the ramps on each side of the crossing to one of said counter-shafts, said means permitting the independent depression of the ramps.

11. In a railway crossing, a supporting standard, a shaft mounted therein and having a member carried thereby provided with a radially extending socket on one side face, a barrier hinged in said socket for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation of the shaft and member, means yieldingly holding said barrier in position in the plane of said member, and means whereby the barrier may be lowered or raised upon the approach or recession of a train.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

SAMUEL n. PAYNE. 

